Chandigarh, Oct. 16 -- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has drawn up a new alignment for the 19 km Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass project that would save 1,900 trees, almost 50% of the 4,000 trees earlier proposed to be cut, for the road connecting Zirakpur in Punjab to a toll plaza on the Chandigarh-Shimla highway in Haryana.

In an affidavit before the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC), the NHAI said that after revisiting the project, a new alignment was worked out which would help save more than 1,900 trees from felling. The move would, however, result in a Rs.65 crore cost escalation while also increasing the project completion timeline. The cost estimate before the revision was Rs.1,800 crore.

According to the NHAI, the e...